Boozed-up jelly bean burglar was caught after returning to get his rucksack

A boozed-fuelled jelly bean burglar was caught after he woke covered in the sweets with a hangover and returned to the scene of his crime to recover a bag he had left behind.
Pictured are jelly bean sweets.Pictured are jelly bean sweets.
Pictured are jelly bean sweets.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Wednesday, May 16, how Zachary Whittingham, 24, of High Street, Riddings, near Alfreton, raided Peacock’s clothes shop, on Institute Lane, Alfreton, and bagged-up costume jewellery and munched down jelly beans from the store.

Prosecuting solicitor Becky Allsop said: “When staff arrived the next morning they found a glass window pane was intact but it had gone into the store.

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“CCTV was checked and a male was seen inside the store doing a donkey-kick and once inside costume jewellery was put into a rucksack and the defendant ate confectionery.”

Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Whittingham returned to the store, according to Mrs Allsop, asking if anyone had found his bag which he had left behind and he was arrested and found with a small amount of cocaine and cannabis.

The defendant told police he had been drinking and woke the next morning covered in jelly beans and recognised them from Peacock’s so he decided to go back to the store.

Whittingham pleaded guilty to entering the store with intent to steal as a trespasser and he also admitted possessing cocaine and cannabis after the burglary on April 28.

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Defence solicitor Asif Munir said: “He was with his friend and it was his friend’s birthday and they went out to celebrate.

“He had a pint and another and so on and so forth with the afternoon and evening merging into one and in the early hours he found himself in Peacock’s.

“He kicked a door and entered and was inside for a short time and was seen munching confectionery worth £8.75 and he left his work rucksack at the premises.

“The next day he woke probably with a hangover and he could not find his work bag and mobile phone and he was covered in jelly beans.

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“He recognised that they must have been from Peacock’s and he returned to the store.”

Mrs Allsop added that the drugs found by police were for Whittingham’s personal use.

Magistrates sentenced Whittingham to a community order with a two month curfew with electronic tagging.

He was also fined £80 and must pay £106.75 compensation, £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.